Alligator Creek
Low-density, detached housing and a high-earning household base define Alligator Creek more than rapid urban growth. Its 1,550 residents occupy 49.4 sq km at 31.4 people per sq km, with a median age of 41, one year above the national comparison. Household income sits at the 90.7th percentile, while 100.0% of homes are separate houses and vacancy is 15.5%. Compared with the nearby coastal and rural settings of Cungulla and Julago, the locality reads as a mortgage-belt, car-dependent setting: 58.8% of households have a mortgage and 84.4% drive to work. The 12.1% overseas-born share is below the national comparison, reinforcing its Anglo-leaning profile.
Population
1,550
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,404/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
28
Homebuyers face a detached-house market without a reliable current median, so recent comparable sales matter more than a headline suburb figure. Alligator Creek is entirely separate-house stock at 100.0%, and 50.0% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, suiting households wanting space. Ownership is mortgage-heavy: 58.8% carry a mortgage versus 36.0% owning outright. The typical mortgage payment is $1,893 monthly, while rent is $325 weekly. Mortgage servicing is 18.2% of household income and rent is 13.5%, with neither flagged as stressed because household income ranks at the 90.7th percentile. Buyers should also price commuting and land maintenance, as 84.4% drive and public transport use is only 0.5%.
For Buyers
Homebuyers face a detached-house market without a reliable current median, so recent comparable sales matter more than a headline suburb figure. Alligator Creek is entirely separate-house stock at 100.0%, and 50.0% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, suiting households wanting space. Ownership is mortgage-heavy: 58.8% carry a mortgage versus 36.0% owning outright. The typical mortgage payment is $1,893 monthly, while rent is $325 weekly. Mortgage servicing is 18.2% of household income and rent is 13.5%, with neither flagged as stressed because household income ranks at the 90.7th percentile. Buyers should also price commuting and land maintenance, as 84.4% drive and public transport use is only 0.5%.
For Investors
Investment conditions are mixed rather than straightforward. Only 5.2% of households rent, compared with 58.8% with a mortgage and 36.0% owning outright, so the market is strongly owner-occupier oriented. Vacancy is 15.5% compared with the 5.2% rental share, which can increase leasing volatility even where weekly rent is a modest $325. Twenty-five development matters are a supply watchpoint because subdivision, lot creation and earthworks may add future competition; verify each approval's final dwelling yield before underwriting. Growth is restrained at 0.39% annually and migration is labelled Balanced, limiting a strong demand narrative. The 80.5% five-year stay rate points to a stable base, but investors should test tenant depth, transport dependence and holding costs against nearby alternatives.
Development Activity
Total DAs
28
Last 12 Months
28
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Alligator Creek
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Alligator Creek State School
Demographics
Alligator Creek has an older, settled profile: median age is 41, one year above the national comparison, and 80.5% of residents stayed at the same address five years earlier. Average household size is 2.8, or 0.3 above the national comparison, with couples without children accounting for 45.7% of households and couples with children 44.8%. The overseas-born share is 12.1%, 9.5 percentage points below the national comparison, while university attainment is 27.3%, 2.8 points lower. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 593, 191 and 163, and Christianity has 757 adherents versus 555 reporting no religion. Compared with more urban Townsville settings, this points to a less migrant-heavy, more established population, because low turnover and ageing reduce rapid demographic churn.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached housing is the defining feature: 100.0% of occupied dwellings are separate houses, with 50.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms and 38.6% containing 3 bedrooms. Tenure is unusually mortgage-led, with 58.8% paying a mortgage, 36.0% owning outright and only 5.2% renting. Compared with Cungulla and Julago, buyers should treat the absence of a current median sale price as a reason to use address-level comparable sales, not as evidence of a low or high market value. Rent is $325 a week and vacancy is 15.5%, while mortgage payments average $1,893 monthly. Affordability worsened from 12.2% in 2011 to 14.5% in 2021, because housing costs rose against the earlier benchmark, even though mortgage and rent stress flags remain false.
Mortgage / mo
$1,893
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$325
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,018
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.5%
Unoccupied
88
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.8%
Couples with children
45.7%
Couples, no children
9.6%
Single parent
429
Total families
Economy & Employment
Alligator Creek combines high household earnings with a service-oriented employment base. Household income is $2,404 weekly at the 90.7th percentile, while family income is $2,596 and personal income is $1,018. Healthcare is the largest industry at 21.2% or 105 workers, above Education at 13.1% or 65 and Public Administration at 11.1% or 55. Construction contributes 10.9% or 54, while Professional/Tech is 8.9% or 44. Occupations are led by Professionals at 150, Trades at 124 and Managers at 109, so the mix is broader than a single-sector economy. Unemployment is 3.5% with 63.3% participation, and 64.9% of workers are full-time, supporting incomes above the national comparison but not removing sensitivity to commuting and real-income pressure of -8.9%.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
774
Unemployed
27
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.9%
Part-time
28.5%
Participation
63.3%
Employed
747
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.3%
Postgraduate
7.6%
Born Overseas
12.1%
Dwellings
481
Transport to Work
Livability is practical and car dependent. The locality covers 49.4 sq km at a density of 31.4 people per sq km, and 84.4% of commuters drive compared with just 0.5% using public transport; walking or cycling accounts for 1.2% and working from home 8.9%. One local school, Alligator Creek State School, provides government-sector state-school access, so families should confirm catchments, year levels and travel times at the exact address. Socioeconomic scores sit below the midpoint across several measures: IRSAD is decile 2, IRSD decile 2, IER decile 1 and IEO decile 3. The IER result is lower than IEO, indicating household resources rank below education and occupation dimensions. Check current Queensland Police figures before making a safety judgment, because a low-density setting is not a substitute for street-level evidence.
Drive
84.4%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
8.9%
Growth Outlook
Growth is slow and ageing rather than expansionary. The annual trend is 0.39%, while population change across the wider area is only 0.1% over 10 years, so demand is more likely to build gradually than through a sharp influx. Migration is labelled Balanced, with no single inflow channel dominating. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 11.3 percentage points, the young share fell 3.9 points and the working share fell 5.3 points. Affordability worsened from 12.2% in 2011 to 14.5% in 2021, while real income growth was -8.9%, creating a constraint on faster turnover. Gentrification is currently scored 0, Not gentrifying, while an early-signals measure records 24 and Early signs, so investors should prioritise steady occupancy over a rapid repricing thesis.
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Alligator Creek compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alligator Creek a good suburb to live in?
Alligator Creek can suit households wanting space, detached housing and a quieter setting. It has 1,550 residents, 100.0% separate houses and 84.4% car commuting. Compared with denser Townsville suburbs, public transport is limited at 0.5%, so driving access is important.
What is the median house price in Alligator Creek?
A current median house price is not available for Alligator Creek. Compare recent sales by address, land size and dwelling condition instead. The suburb is 100.0% separate houses, with 58.8% of households paying a mortgage and typical rent of $325 per week.
What schools are in Alligator Creek?
Alligator Creek State School is the local government state school. Confirm enrolment boundaries, year levels and transport directly, especially because 84.4% of residents drive while only 0.5% use public transport. Compare wider Townsville options if the exact catchment does not suit.
Is Alligator Creek safe?
Use current Queensland Police figures and local advice before deciding, because a 1,550-person locality can vary by road and property. The 84.4% driver share indicates car dependence, not a safety rating, so inspect the exact street and consider lighting, traffic and emergency access.
Is Alligator Creek good for property investment?
It may suit a cautious, yield-focused investor, but the signals are mixed. Only 5.2% of households rent, vacancy is 15.5%, weekly rent is $325 and 25 development matters were recorded over 12 months. Annual growth is 0.39%, so tenant depth and holding costs need careful testing.
How is Alligator Creek's population changing?
Alligator Creek has 1,550 residents today, with wider-area population change of 0.1% over 10 years and an annual trend of 0.39%. Migration is Balanced, while the trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 11.3 points and the young share fell 3.9 points.
What development is happening in Alligator Creek?
There were 25 development matters in the last 12 months, including subdivision, lot creation and earthworks. Treat this as a supply watchpoint and check each approval's final dwelling yield. With 0.39% annual growth and 15.5% vacancy, development timing may affect competition.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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